Wha Happens To “Stuff” In the Marital Home?

By Robin Roshkind, Esquire, West Palm Beach, Florida

When you are getting a divorce, what happens to the things you have acquired in the marital home. It depends upon their value. If you have priceless artwork and antiques, an appraiser should be called in to value all of the valuable assets. Then once a value is placed upon such things, it has to be agreed upon by the parties as to what is marital and what is not. If there can be no such agreement, then a judge will decide. Provided all the valuable assets are marital, then the parties can agree as to who gets what piece, or if they can’t agree then everything should be sold at fair market value and the net proceeds split 50/50.

In more modest homes, where there is only used furniture and a big screen TV, the parties need to decide who gets what. If that is not possible, then a judge will divide stuff equally down the middle or by preference.

Where one party is granted exclusive use and possession of the marital home, oftentimes all the contents stays with that spouse, and the other spouse is given other marital assets as an off set of the value. Of course, each spouse is to receive their own personal effects such as clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, tools, bicycle and the like. For more information about this or other divorce topics, call one of the divorce lawyers at ROBIN ROSHKIND, PA at 561 835 9091 or click on the Firm’s web site at www.familylawwpb.com.